Rain-guard for signals.



010,800,000. PATBNTED JAN.0,1900.

R. HERMAN.

RAIN GUARD FOR SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14.1005.

Inventor; W'Lngw Rel nhold Herman Mw @M4/5M UA Atty TmTTnn sTaTns TaTnnT oTTTcn.

REINHOLD HERMAN, OF CRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAIN-GUARD FOR SIGNALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed .Tune 14, 1905. Serial No. 265,164.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REINHoLD HERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crafton, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rain-Guards for Signals, of which the following is a specification.

Mv invention relates to semaphore-signals of the type comprising a horizontal shaft extending through a casing, connected inside the casing to the operating mechanism for the signal and outside the casing supporting' the semaphore-arm. It has been found in practice that in severe sleet-storms the shaft may become frozen to the casing, due to rain or sleet running from the casing onto the shaft and freezing. Sucha contingency isaserious source of danger, since a signal may be locked at clear in this manner when it should properly indicate dangen The object of my invention is to make it absolutely impossible for the semaphore-shaft to become frozen to the casing in this manner.

My invention consists in providing a rain or sleet guard secured tothe casing and extending over the entire length of the shaft and arranged to discharge water at its other end and providing the semaphore or spectacle castingwith an aperture to permit the rain-guard to pass through it, or, in another aspect, my invention consists in extending the guard over the entire length of the shaft and arranging the semaphore-casting so that the part of the casting engaging the shaft extends downward away from the guard, so as not to strike the guard in the range of movement of the casting. /Vith this arrangement all rain or sleet which would otherwise fall on the shaft or trickle down onto it from the casing or semaphore-casting is caught by the rain-guard and discharged beyond the outer end of the shaft, so that all possibility of ice forming between the shaft and casingv is entirely removed.

My invention further comprises certain structural features, which will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows a front elevation of a semaphore-signal provid ed with a protecting-guard in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional detail of the guard.

In Fig. l, A represents the semaphore-post,

on which is mounted a casing B, which contains the operating mechanism for the signal. The operating mechanism, which is not shown, may be of any desired type, although I prefer to employ mechanism of the type disclosed in my former patent, No. 77 8,037 issued to me December 20, 1904.

C representsv the driving-shaft for the signal, which is connected to the operating mechanism within the casing, extends through the casing, and carries at its outer end the spectacle or semaphore casting YD, to Which is secured the semaphore-arm E.

Cr represents the rain or sleet guard, which is secured to the casing and extends outwardly over the entire length of the shaft. The semaphore casting D is provided with an aperture, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to permit the guard to extend through it or, Viewed in another aspect, is arranged so that the portion of the casting which engages the shaft extends downward away from the guard, so as not to strike it in the operation of the signal. This guard is provided with lateral gutters g, sloping outwardly and arranged to discharge all water that falls on the guard at its extreme outer end beyond the end of the shaft. As a further protection for this shaft the guard is provided at its outer end with a depending flange f, which extends below the axis of the shaft.

With the arrangement as above described it is obvious that all rain or sleet is entirely prevented from reaching the shaft, so that any false indication due to ice forming between the shaft and casing is entirely prevented.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In combination with a casing, a shaft extending through said casing, a rain-guard secured to said casing and extending over the outer end of said shaft, and a semaphore-casting supported from the outer end of said shaft, the portion of said casting engaging said shaft extending downward away from said guard so as not to engage therewith in the range of movement of said casting.

2. In combination with a casing, a shaft extending through said casing, a semaphore-casting carried on said shaft outside said casing, and a rain-guard secured to said casing and extending over said shaft and through an aperture in said casting.v

IOO

.tending over said shaft and through an aperture in said casting and provided with lateral gutters adapted to discharge Water at the outer end of said guard.

5. In combination With a casing, a shaft extending through said easing, a semaphore-Casting carried on said shaft outside said easing,

and a rain-guard secured to said easing eX- tendlng over said shaft and through an aperture in said casting and provided with lateral gutters adapted to discharge Water at the outer end of said guard and having adepending ange at its outer end.

6. In combination with a casing, a shaft eX- tending through said casing, a semaphore-easting carried on Said shaft outside said casing, anda rain-guard secured to said casing eX- Atending over the entire length of said shaft and arranged to discharge water at its outer end, said semaphore-casting being provided with an aperture to permit the guard to pass through it.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of June, 1905.

REIN HOLD HERMAN.

Witnesses:

ERNEST PAYNE, L. GERTRUDE PAYNE. 

